Music - 20th and 21st Century Multimedia Forms

• Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and a musical score.
• Opera is performed in an elaborate theatrical setting.
• Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, costumes, and sometimes includes dance.
• The performance is typically given in an opera house, cultural center, theater, or auditorium.
• An opera is accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble.
• In an opera, the dialogue is entirely sung and not spoken.
• Opera is part of the Western classical music form and tradition.

  It started in Italy at the end of the 16th century and soon spread through the rest of Europe.
• Local Theaters and Early Philippine Operas - choice venues for the mainly Italian operas that came to the country

  • Zorilla
  • Principe Alfonso
  • Variedades
  • Quiapo and Tondo Theaters
• The first Filipino opera is said to be the Sandugong Panaginip by Pedro Paterno, a poet, novelist, musician and government official.
• Sandugong Panaginip

  • first Filipino opera
  • made by Pedro Paterno
  • first presented at the Zorilla Theater on August 2, 1902
  • was later translated by the Englishman M.W. Loving with the title "The Dreamed Alliance"
• Subsequent Filipino operas followed sporadically, such as Lakangbini by Patricio Mariano

  • staged at the Metropolitan Theater on December 19, 1933
• The establishment of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) by then First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos in 1969 paved the way for other Filipino operas to be staged at a legitimate venue of international standard.
• Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo

  • operas based on Rizal's two novels
  • composed by National Artist Felipe Padilla de Leon
  • these were presented at the CCP Main Theater in 1970 and 1975, respectively
  • Noli and El Fili were later restaged also at CCP as musical plays with new music composed by Ryan Cayabyab and new creative team
• La Loba Negra (The Black She-Wolf)

  • a three-act Filipino opera, Act 1 and 2 are based on history, Act 3 is based on a legend attributed to Fr. Jose Burgos (one of the three martyred priests executed in Bagumbayan in 1872)
  • the music was composed by National Artist Francisco Feliciano with libretto by soprano Fides Cuyugan-Asensio
  • Ms. Asensio alternated with Eleanor Calbes as Dona Luisa/La Loba
  • presented by the CCP in cooperation with the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music of the CCP Main Theater from August 16 to 25, 1984 and the second season in 1985
• Background of the Opera: La Loba Negra (The Black She Wolf)

  • the story takes place during the 17th century of Spanish rule in the Philippines
  • revolves around the tragic assassination of Spanish Governor-General Bustamante
  • also focused on the bitter reaction and planned vendetta (revenge) by his wife Dona Luisa (La Loba Negra) on the religious perpetrators
• Noli Me Tangere, The Opera

  • three-act opera
  • composed by National Artist Felipe Padilla De Leon, with libretto by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino
  • premiered in 1957 at the FEU auditorium
  • the cast included: Juanita Javier Torres as Maria Clara, Don David as Ibarra, Fides Cuyugan-Asensio as Sisa, Milo Cristobal as Padre Damaso, and Morli Daram as the director
• El Filibusterimo, The Opera

  • composed by the National Artist Felipe Padilla De Leon in 1975, with libretto Anthony Morli
  • three-acts writtten in Tagalog
  • the casts include Fides Cuyugan-Asensio as Paulita, Constancio Bernardo as Simoun, and Irma Potenciado as Juli
  • was staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines
• Ballet - The medium of dance and ballet to interpret novels, literature, folktales, and stories provides visual excitement as the characters come alive not in spoken dialogue but in body movements
• Ballet

  • Much of the communication is relayed in pantomime, a performance in which a story is told without words by using body movements and facial expressions.
• Ballet

  • The performance is further enhanced by colorful costumes, elaborate sets, visually suggestive music, and synchronized choreography. Together, the dance or ballet production makes for a complete drama by itself without a single word being spoken.
• Filipino ballets vividly present folktales based on local fables, for example, Lola Basyang as well as epics from neighboring regions such as India's Ramayana.
• Ballet - highly communicative movements and steps dramatize the actions in the respective stories
• Lola Basyang

  • a ballet adaptation of Severino Reyes' folktales Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang
  • was meant to instill and rekindle the interest of the Filipino youth in the beauty, richness, and heritage of Philippine literature
  • the typical storytelling scene shows the grandmother (Lola Basyang, the pen name of the author) on a rocking chair with her grandchildren listening to her fascinating tales
• Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang

  • two episodes of such stories were presented by Ballet Manila, with Lisa Macuja-Elizalde as the company’s Executive Director and prima ballerina
• Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang featured the following stories:

  1. Ang Kapatid ng Tatlong Marya
  2. Ang Mahiwagang Biyulin
  3. Ang Prinsipe ng Mga Ibon
• Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang featured the following stories:

  1. Ang Kapatid ng Tatlong Marya -This is a fantasy story set to neo-ethnic music in a contemporary style. It is about a hero’s fantastic journey to different kingdoms in pursuit of his bewitched sisters.
• Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang featured the following stories:

  2. Ang Mahiwagang Biyulin - This is a local version of the Pied Piper tale where the main character mesmerizes his followers through the music of his violin. The story instills in them the moral lesson that “good triumphs over evil.”
• Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang featured the following stories:

  3. Ang Prinsipe ng Mga Ibon - This is a love story where a princess falls in love with a bird.
• The second episode, Tatlo Pang Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, included the following stories:

  4. Ang Palasyo ng Mga Dwende

  5. Labindalawang Masasayang Prinsesa

  6. Anting-Anting
• The second episode, Tatlo Pang Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, included the following stories:

  4. Ang Palasyo ng Mga Dwende -This is a romantic adventure wherein the heroine Yani is being maltreated by her envious stepmother and stepsisters. The cursed bird is changed back into a prince with the help of Yani. It depicts Mindanao and the ancient Pintados through its neo-ethnic movements.
• The second episode, Tatlo Pang Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, included the following stories:

  5. Labindalawang Masasayang Prinsesa - This is a romantic fantasy of the twelve daughters of the king. The twelve daughters secretly leave their bedroom at night to travel to an enchanted land and dance with the princes.
• The second episode, Tatlo Pang Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, included the following stories:

  6. Anting-Anting -This is a horror-comedy wherein the cowardly hero Huan tries to overcome his fears to win his love. The slapstick comedy is enhanced by exaggerated movements as Huan is later haunted by ghosts that add to his fears for which he looks for an anting-anting (lucky charm) to ward them off.
• Rama Hari

  • translated to as King Rama, is the Philippine adaptation of the Indian epic Ramayana set to music, dance, and drama
  • originally presented on February 8 to 17, 1980
  • the creative team consisted of Ryan Cayabyab (Music), National Artist Alice Reyes (choreography), National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera (literature), and another National Artist Salvador Bernal (theatrical design), with the CCP Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Cayabyab
  • major roles performed by Basil Valdez (Rama), Kuh Ledesma (Sita), and Leo Valdez (Ravana)
• The Indian Epic Behind the Musical Production

  • The Ramayana is one of the two great Indian epics that talk about Indian life around 1000 BC and how dharma was practiced.
  • Dharma is a type of behavior said to be in accordance with the order that makes life and the universe possible.
  • According to its meaning, it explains the expectations in fulfilling duties, respecting rights, observing proper conduct, practicing virtues, and maintaining a rightful way of living .
  • Later, it became a model of behavior for the whole Hindu population
• Ramayana


  The story revolves around Prince Rama, the eldest son of Dasaratha, King of Ayodha
• Dasaratha's sons


  • Rama
  • Bharata
  • Lakshamana
  • Satrughna
• Rama


  • Considered the incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu
  • In line to the throne after his father decided to retire
• Rama's banishment to the forest


  1. Intercession from his stepmother

  2. King's promise to grant any two wishes she desired

  3. She opted to have Rama banished for 14 years

  4. She wanted to have her own son Bharata ascend the throne